The metal injection molding process, as is well known in the powder metallurgy art, uses a mold which comprises an at least one injection port through which a powder metal feedstock composition is introduced into the mold. The injection equipment then employs pressure and/or heat to fuse the powder, or powders, together to form a desired shape as per the shape of the mold cavity.
The powder metallurgy art also utilizes various other types of forming processes such as die compression, uniaxial pressing, cold isostatic pressing, hot isostatic pressing and many others. Processes such as these are used to form articles from metal powder. While processes such as metal injection molding are capable of forming very precise and nearly finished articles, the cost of the molding equipment can be very high. Conversely, processes such as die compression and cold isostatic pressing are more basic processes which can form general shapes and configurations, but which often require more involved finishing and machining processes than metal injection molding, before a final article is obtained, particularly in the case of orthopedic articles.
An agglomeration process produces clusters of powder materials with a relatively uniform size distribution, independent of the starting particle size distribution of the powder material. A number of methods exist for agglomerating powder material. Some methods might include the use of a fluid bed, spray drying, and/or pan pelletizing process.